Haripunjaya – Mon tradition, in northern Thailand Stucco Stucco Buddha head - 27.5 cm
12
days
20
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34
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58
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Current bid
€ 500
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 4,500 - € 6,500
 | €500 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €350 | |
| €1 |
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Haripunjaya stucco Buddha head, authentic Original/official, provenance from France and private collection, dating to the late 12th–early 13th century, mounted on a modern metal base, with dimensions 27.5 × 19 × 10.5 cm.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Important stucco Buddha head from the ancient Haripunjaya kingdom in northern Thailand, datable from the late 12th to the early 13th century, with a stylistic attribution that is particularly convincing to the early 13th century.
The face features several emblematic characteristics of Haripunjaya sculpture: broad modelling of the face, powerful wavy eyebrows, downcast eyes, wide nose, full lips outlined by a fine mustache, long ears and hair composed of tight small curls rising toward a conical uṣṇīṣa. The hairline, drawn in an embrace above the forehead, further reinforces this very distinctive stylistic identity.
The deliberately unfinished reverse indicates that the head originally belonged to a high-relief Buddha figure integrated into a religious architectural decoration, probably placed in a niche or against a monumental structure. This conception corresponds to known Haripunjaya productions and explains the strong frontal orientation as well as the relatively limited depth of the sculpture.
The surface preserves an ancient wear that is particularly expressive: progressive erosion of projecting parts, small stucco cavities, deposits and occasional losses that testify to the long material history of the work without compromising the legibility of the face.
The piece has moreover been the subject of a scientific report by Antiques Analytics – Institute of Scientific Authenticity Testing, based notably on an examination by scanning electron microscopy and elementary EDX analysis. The observed surface alterations were considered compatible with the proposed antiquity.
A particularly relevant comparison is preserved in public collections devoted to Haripunjaya art in Lamphun, as well as in the standard reference literature on Thai sacred sculpture.
Mounted on an elegant modern metal plinth, this head combines sculptural presence, typological rarity, ancient provenance and scientific documentation, which makes it a highly representative example of Haripunjaya Buddhist sculpture.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zw7sc7ti3t21idfagz8ge/AKnkVcI4VF6xZB6Loajaevg?rlkey=ly2tmmeixgq3909ebnjbkvz65&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateImportant stucco Buddha head from the ancient Haripunjaya kingdom in northern Thailand, datable from the late 12th to the early 13th century, with a stylistic attribution that is particularly convincing to the early 13th century.
The face features several emblematic characteristics of Haripunjaya sculpture: broad modelling of the face, powerful wavy eyebrows, downcast eyes, wide nose, full lips outlined by a fine mustache, long ears and hair composed of tight small curls rising toward a conical uṣṇīṣa. The hairline, drawn in an embrace above the forehead, further reinforces this very distinctive stylistic identity.
The deliberately unfinished reverse indicates that the head originally belonged to a high-relief Buddha figure integrated into a religious architectural decoration, probably placed in a niche or against a monumental structure. This conception corresponds to known Haripunjaya productions and explains the strong frontal orientation as well as the relatively limited depth of the sculpture.
The surface preserves an ancient wear that is particularly expressive: progressive erosion of projecting parts, small stucco cavities, deposits and occasional losses that testify to the long material history of the work without compromising the legibility of the face.
The piece has moreover been the subject of a scientific report by Antiques Analytics – Institute of Scientific Authenticity Testing, based notably on an examination by scanning electron microscopy and elementary EDX analysis. The observed surface alterations were considered compatible with the proposed antiquity.
A particularly relevant comparison is preserved in public collections devoted to Haripunjaya art in Lamphun, as well as in the standard reference literature on Thai sacred sculpture.
Mounted on an elegant modern metal plinth, this head combines sculptural presence, typological rarity, ancient provenance and scientific documentation, which makes it a highly representative example of Haripunjaya Buddhist sculpture.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zw7sc7ti3t21idfagz8ge/AKnkVcI4VF6xZB6Loajaevg?rlkey=ly2tmmeixgq3909ebnjbkvz65&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Culture
Haripunjaya – Mon tradition, in northern Thailand
Century/timeframe
Fin du XIIe – début du XIIIe siècle, probablement début du XIIIe siècle
Name of object
Stucco Buddha head
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
2021
Material
Stucco
Country acquired from
Europe
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
27.5 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1990
Width
19 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
France
Depth
10.5 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
